Drinking-fountain.



J. G. DAVIS.

DRINKING FOUNTAIN.

urLIoA'rIoI FILED $1111.21, 1910.

Patented Dec. 17,1912.

UNITED stra ns PAfrnN' r cur os.

JOHN C. DAVIS, OF DIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO H. MUELLERMANUFAC- TUBING (30., OFDECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Appli. tion filed January 21', 1910. Serial No. 539,395.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. DAVIS, of Dighton, in the county of Bristoland Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Drinking- Fountains; and I do hereby declare-thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

My improvement relates to the kind of drinking fountain that throws avsmall stream of water from a nozzle of reduced size in such manner thata person may conveniently catch said stream in his mouth withoutbringing his lips into contact with the nozzle itself.

An important object, of my invention is to pro ide a drinking fountainof this type having a drinking jet and means for preventing the usertouching the drinking outlet with his lips withoutwetting his face. Thisobject is accomplished in'a very simple and efficient manner byproviding a second supply of liquid so positioned as to wet a personbefore his face can contact with the means for supplying the drinkingjet. Preferably and as shown I surround the drinking stream with a watercurtain or screen comprising a number of small jets of water encirclingthe drinking stream and separate therefrom that riseabove the drink ingstream outlet or nozzle but not so high as the drinking stream. A usermay apply his mouth to the top of the stream and drink withoutinterference from the water curtain, but shouldhe lower his head andapproach too near, or touch the nozzle, the jets of water forming thecurtain or screen will be discharged against his face. This curtain'ofjets is in so far independent of the drinking stream that anyinterference with or interruption to the flow of the jets of the curtainwill not destroy the drinking stream. A. flexible nozzle may be employedthat can be bent so as to direct the stream issuing therefrom in thedirection most convenient for drinking, the water pressure and theposition of the fountain being taken into account. In places where thereis no Water service I provide a storage tank that may be employed withsuccess with my improved device, the tank being so constructed that theprcssureofwater supplied to the foun tain may be as high and as uniformas possible for the longest period of use, considering the capacity ofthe tank, and means con nected with the tank whereby the water may beautomatically shut 01f therefrom when this period is past.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of anarrangement embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlargedcross-sectional view of the nozzle and the pipe immediately adjoiningit. Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the bottom ofthestoragc tank and the top of the outlet pipe; Fig. 4 is a detail viewillustrating a shield within which-the nozzle may be disposed. y

In the drawing, 4: indicates the water supply pipe to which is attacheda means for deliverii'ig a drinking stream, this means being shown inthe drawing as a nozzle 7 in the form of a tube. The nozzle or tube 7 ispreferably somewhat flexible having a small bore therethrough whichserves as a continuation of the bore of the pipe 4. The diameter of thebore in tube? is regulated in accordance with the water pressure and ismade sufficiently small to allow the drinking stream issuing therefromto rise to a height of from six to eight inches, so

as to permit a person to receive the same in his mouth.

According to the example of my invention shown in the drawing, in thewalls of the nozzle or tube 7 are several minute holes leading upwardand outward from the interior, so arranged about the tube as to throwsmall diverging streams or jets of water up around the central streamissuing from the main outlet of the nozzle and separated from it. Theseside holes are so small that the streams or jets issuing therefrom willnot rise to the full he ht of the main stream, but will risesulticiently high to strike a persons face if he tries to place his lipson or too near the outlet of thenozzle 7 from which the drinking streamissues.

My invention, as herei'nbefore described, is one'which may be employedwithout danger of physical injury, the discharge of water to wet theperson being ordinarily sufiicient. But if desired, although I make noclaim thereto, a further but elective guard may be used. For example,brackets 9'may be secured to the pipe 4 and support a shield -10, largerat the base than at the top and having around the top edge a row ofpylatented Dec. 17, 1912.

'ramidal pointed projections to prevent anyone from trylng to put hislips over or through the opening in said top. This opening is of-suchsize that it is impossible for represented the drinking stream andseveral small jets of water; and in Fig. 4 of the drawing show a similarrepresentation in an arrangement in which the shield 10 may be utilized.

The pipe 4 may be connected to the serv ice pipe of a water system or,as'shown in the drawing, to a portable storage tank 1 provided withclamps or hooks 2 for hanging it on a wall. The bottom of the tankslopes downwardly from all sides to a common point 3 where the upper endof the supply pipe 4 opens into the tank. Within the tank is a floatball made of wood or other buoyant material that isadapted to close theupper end of the pipe 4 formed with a seat for this purpose. The purposeof this ball is to tightly close the inlet to the pipe 4 as soon asalmost all of the water is run out of the tank, immediately shutting ofithe supply to the fountain; otherwise, the fountain would continue torun as the water sank lower and lower in the-pipe 4, the pressure ofcourse, diminishinggradually. The pipe 4 is carried downward a distancenecessary to obtain the'required' pressure of water at its lowest pointand then it is carried to the place desired for drinking andcurvedupward again to receive the nozzle or tube 7.

Copies valve 5 in theform of a of this patent may be obtelneilfo! fivecents each, by addressing the Washington, D. O.

At any convenient place in the pipe 4 is placed an automatic closingvalve 6 of any desired construction.

In operating the invention in connection with the storage tank, the tankis filled with water, the pipe 4, being of such length that it willafford suificient pressure to force the main or drinking stream from theoutlet of the nozzle 7, seven inches or so above the top of the shield10, and the surrounding small streams or jets of the curtain or screenfive or six inches or so above said shield. When a person wishes todrink he opens the valve (i'lowers his lips and drinks from the top ofthe main stream. When the tank is early empty it is automatically closedby means of the ball valve 5 as before explained. If the device he usedin connection with a system of continuous water pressure, as a citywater plant, any suitable water pressure regulator may be inserted inthe pipe 4 to properly regulate the height of the drinking stream andthe projecting jets issuing from the nozzle 7 What I claim is: 11 Anozzle adapted to furnish'a drinking jet or bubble, and means to furnisha secon supply of liquid so. positioned as to wet a person before hisface can contact with the nozzle.

2. A drinking fountain containing means for delivering a drinking streamand containing also asecond means adapted to emit.

water to wet a person before his face can contact with the first-namedmeans.

JOHN C. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN L. Woon, CHARLES E. Hackers,

Commissioner of hunt,

